CINCYJEWELS. LOCAL. AUGUST 16, 2011. The fountain and front entrance at the Museum Center in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011. The Enquirer/Sam Greene

The list of Cincinnati's iconic touchstones - places we love, places that help define who we are - is long, but surely Union Terminal belongs near the top of that list. So any discussion about how to preserve the rapidly deteriorating Art Deco treasure - including a proposed $141 million Hamilton County levy - ought to involve our entire community. And it must happen soon.

That's why we urge commissioners to put the levy on the ballot and let the voters decide. Union Terminal can't wait.

The levy proposal from the Cincinnati Museum Center, which has its home in Union Terminal, got no support from Republicans Greg Hartmann and Chris Monzel, two of the three county commissioners who decide what levies go on the ballot. Their reasoning was the same as last year: In a poor economy, we can't ask taxpayers to pay more. But taxpayers should be able to decide what they want to pay.

The third commissioner, Democrat Todd Portune, also said this is "the worst time to be asking for something like this." He doesn't dismiss the levy idea out of hand, but believes it must be part of a larger, public-private solution.

"I think it's time for this to happen, but it has to involve more than just public financing," Portune said. "There's a proper role for benefactors and the private sector."

He was expressing an idea that's starting to catch hold in the cultural community: We focus on fixing our cultural icons, such as Music Hall and Union Terminal, "in isolation and one at a time" when we ought to be devising a "long-term, broad-based plan" aimed at preserving our heritage.

That sounds fine, especially if it engages residents of life in a discussion of what that heritage means to us. Ideally, the discussion shouldn't end with Union Terminal, and it shouldn't be just about property tax levies. But settling on such a plan could take years. The problem is, if Union Terminal is worth saving, the decision to restore it may need to come soon.

The price for the project now is estimated at $141 million. If we wait until 2016, Museum Center board chairwoman Francie S. Hiltz wrote in the levy request, it will cost $214 million. Why a 50 percent-plus jump in just four years? If nothing is done, the "progressive deterioration" of the building's steel, brick and mortar "will increase exponentially," a 2011 architect's report said. So the real question may be not whether we can afford to fix it now, but whether we can afford not to fix it now.

We'll know more after the Tax Levy Review Committee meets at the end of this month to map out levies for the year. A Union Terminal levy might have a good chance of winning. An Enquirer/Survey USA poll last year showed 55 percent of residents would pay for repairs. Residents see it as worthwhile; passion for this place runs deep.

"There's a constant level of enthusiasm about this building," said Museum Center spokeswoman Casey Kroger. "People are constantly telling us how they have grown up with the building, how important it has been in their family and their lives."

Yes, fiscal prudence is necessary. Property taxes should remain as low as possible. Creative alternatives should be explored. But this community can't put off a decision about restoring Union Terminal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

Most Viewed

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Editorial: Union Terminal decision urgent

The list of Cincinnati's iconic touchstones ? places we love, places that help define who we are ? is long, but surely Union Terminal belongs near the top of that list.